Blair urges UK to stay centered and close to Europe

Two decades after Tony Blair swept to power in a landslide victory to become prime minister of Britain, his brand of centrist, proEuropean politics seems a distant memory in a divided country that has now voted to leave the European Union.

But on the anniversary of that victory, Blair tried to bolster the sagging center ground of British politics, while predicting that voters might think again about the economically damaging hard break with the EU that he believes is looming.

Britons will vote June 8 in a general election called by Prime Minister Theresa May, a Conservative, who wants a larger parliamentary majority behind her to negotiate the withdrawal from the European Union required by a referendum last year.

Blair, in an hourlong conversation with the international news media, urged Europe’s left not to reject globalization, while warning that May would probably lead Britain to a sharp break with the European Union, or a “hard Brexit.” Yet he also argued that once the shape of any departure deal becomes clear, Britons may have second thoughts.

“I personally think that when people see the details, they will hesitate,” he said, referring to the complexity of any deal May can negotiate.

Many would dispute that assertion. And thanks in part to his active role in pursuing the Iraq War, Blair is a diminished figure in Britain these days, particularly within his Labour Party, which has swung to the left.